Hi. I'm a first-time commenter and a learning, not-yet photographer.
On Feb 7, 2015, there was discussion of N for Nikon's zoom lenses of today which have the Nikkor Integrated Coating. Each of the responders seem to be correct, but perhaps it is worth extending the discussion because N has had at least various meanings.
I own a prime -N lens from about 1967-1977, the NIKKOR-N Auto 24mm f/2.8. Pictures:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/6070nikkor/wides/24mm.htm This lens introduced a historically significant mechanical close-range focus-correction system -- floating adjustment. See,
http://nikkor.com/story/0014/.
The current N symbol, as discussed in earlier posts here, now indicates an anti-internal-reflections coating. The N is found on the body of the lens, in gold. The -N of my comment is found on the front of the lens, appended to the name, NIKKOR.
The -N suffix on my lens appeared before the first multi-coated lens, the Ai Nikkor 35mm f/1.4S, in 1971. The NIKKOR-N Auto lens was updated with a multi-layer coating in 1972. The multi-layer coating of these post-1972 lenses targets anti-ghosting and anti-flare. This coating is different from the later Super Integrated Coating (SIC) and is different from today's Nano Crystal Coating, which originated in semiconductor manufacturing, the sequentially third meaning of N.
The sequentially second use (2005) of the N designation was for AI lenses:
http://bythom.com/lensacronyms.htmNikon has used N to refer to new types of glass:
http://nikkor.com/story/nwords-e.html#retrofoc but I doubt that this glossary entry is the same N as the -N of my lens.
Still another N is suffixed to f/2.8, as in
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/glossary.htm, meaning, "new," as in certain improvements to the EL-NIKKOR 50mm f/2.8N in 1979. See
http://nikon.com/about/feelnikon/recollections/r15_e/index.htmFor more on coatings, see SIC and N in this glossary:
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/glossary.htm. See also
http://nikkor.com/history/03.html.
So what does the -N on my lens stand for? At first, I thought it might refer to the presence of a negative meniscus lens element. However, it seems likely that -N refers to the close-focus mechanical innovation that makes this lens significant as noted above. Evidence for this view is the use of -N in the 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor-N Auto Wideangle Lens, which appears to include the same near-focus mechanics. Since I have not seen any remarks to this effect, it would be nice to hear the views of others.